AGARTALA, SEPTEMBER 8: The ruling alliance in Tripura faced fresh tensions ahead of the September 28 Village Committee elections after IPFT general secretary Swapan Debbarma alleged that he was attacked by miscreants allegedly linked to ally Tipra Motha near the Hezamara Block office on Tuesday.
The allegation comes on the last day for filing nominations for the Village Committee elections. The BJP, TIPRA Motha and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) are part of the ruling alliance and have announced plans to jointly contest the polls.
Opposition parties have already alleged intimidation during the nomination process. The latest allegation from a senior leader of an alliance partner has added to concerns over the electoral environment.
Speaking to reporters at GBP Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment, Debbarma said he was not at the block office to file a nomination. He claimed he was returning home after his driver delivered a letter to the Returning Officer at Hezamara when his vehicle was attacked and damaged near the block premises.
According to Debbarma, his driver alerted police personnel deployed nearby, following which they intervened. He alleged that four or five people were involved in the incident and that one of them assaulted him with a stick.
Debbarma further claimed that the attackers became more aggressive after he identified himself as the IPFT general secretary. He questioned how such an incident could take place when the BJP, TIPRA Motha and IPFT are alliance partners.
IPFT leader and Minister Suklal Charan Noatia visited Debbarma at GBP Hospital and alleged that the leader had been pulled out of his vehicle and assaulted.
Noatia said Debbarma was initially taken to Hezamara Primary Health Centre and later to Mohanpur Sub-Divisional Hospital before being referred to GBP Hospital for further treatment.
The minister also alleged that reports had emerged of candidates being prevented from entering some block offices to submit nomination papers.
“We cannot accept a situation where political parties are prevented from contesting elections,” Noatia said, appealing to the Chief Minister, police administration and State Election Commission to ensure peaceful polling.
He said the IPFT had approached the Director General of Police and the State Election Commission over the reported incidents. The party’s state committee is expected to discuss the alleged attack and decide its next course of action.
The incident has brought renewed scrutiny to the BJP-TIPRA Motha-IPFT alliance ahead of the Village Committee polls.
